How to Treat the Flu

If you have flu symptoms -- fever, chills, aches, malaise, and perhaps vomiting -- doctors say it’s important to rest, try to eat nourishing food, and drink more fluids than you ordinarily do. Fever can be dehydrating, and drinking more helps you replace what is lost. Water is fine, as is broth, especially if you don’t have much of an appetite.

If you don’t feel much like moving around, it’s fine to stay in bed. Get up when you feel you can. You should not exercise if you have chest congestion, a hacking cough, body aches, or fever. For flu, it’s best to give your body a rest.

Over-the-Counter Medicines

Over-the-counter (OTC) fever reducers, antihistamines, decongestants, and cough medicines may help you feel better, but these products won’t help you recover any faster.

Read labels carefully before buying. Some products may cause potentially troubling side effects. For example, some antihistamines can make you drowsy. That’s why they’re usually only in nighttime cold medicines. And since decongestants can increase blood pressure, they can be a poor choice for people with heart disease or high blood pressure. Decongestants may also make some people feel jittery or nervous or result in insomnia.

Some doctors believe that fever, unpleasant as it may be, helps deactivate the viruses that cause influenza. Does that mean that taking medicine to bring down your fever will slow your recovery? With a mild fever (less than 100 degrees), maybe a little. But if you feel very uncomfortable you may want to take fever reducers anyway. And because fever stresses the heart and lungs, fever reducers may be appropriate for older people and those with heart or lung disease. If your fever is high or doesn’t resolve after two or three days, call your doctor to see if you need to go in.

For children, seeking medical help depends on their age and symptoms. Call the doctor if:

The child is under 3 months old and has a fever of 100.4 or higher

The child is between 3 and 12 months old and has a fever of 102.2 degrees or higher